UPDATE: Family Says Robbery Suspect Armed with Pellet Gun

ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- The father of a teen fatally shot during an alleged armed robbery, speaks out for the first time since the Friday night incident.

Brandon Pierce's dad says his son used a pellet gun, something police are not confirming. He says the store's employee shouldn't have fatally shot the teen.

“Everyone says they know what it's like or that they feel sorry for me but until you lose your son, especially to something as senseless to this, no one really knows,” said Brandon Pierce’s father, Michael Pierce.

Michael Pierce admits his son was in the wrong for trying to rob the jewelry concepts store on West Riverside Blvd, Friday. Police say an employee fatally shot pierce after he flashed a gun inside of the store.

The suspect's father claims the weapon was a pellet gun and says the teen shouldn't have been killed in the robbery.

"He robbed it with a pellet gun, but for someone to put four bullets into my son, to me it is ridiculous,” Pierce’s father said. Police aren't commenting about the teen’s weapon being a pellet gun. The Winnebago County State’s Attorney's office is reviewing the case.

ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- Harlem High School counselors will be on hand Monday to help students cope with the death of a 17 year old who police say was shot and killed during an attempted robbery Friday.

More information is expected to be released on Monday about the attempted armed robbery at Jewelry Concepts. The manager of the Northe Town Mall says an employee working at Jewelry Concepts shot and killed 17 year old Brandon Pierce during an attempted robbery. Police say Pierce walked into the shop with a gun. Pierce's grandma tells us it was pellet gun. Before he was killed, Pierce’s family says he was a soon to be a dad. Pierce attended Harlem High School for a time but family says he hadn’t been there in the last year.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.